


Something Sweet

by PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart



Category: The Two Princes (Podcast)
Genre: Blackberries, Cooking, Food, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 11:45:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20275375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart/pseuds/PrinxOfTheFlamingHeart
Summary: Rupert decides that some gifts are best made by hand from scratch. And Amir learns that Rupert has another hidden skill.





	Something Sweet

In the castle kitchen, there was always something going on. In the early morning the kitchen was the domain of the royal bakers. Before breakfast the First Royal Chef took over and the scent of flour and dough was replaced by freshly cut fruit and eggs and bacon. By lunchtime, the morning and nighttime chefs worked in the same space. This led to a few thrown pots and pans, no few foul words and insinuations, and a whole lot of really unusual food that was also amazing. If one were to miss a meal in the castle, they’d prefer not to miss lunch. Dinner called for the night chef with occasional appearances by specialty chefs from both sides of the kingdom. If lunch was unusual, dinner was unpredictable. The Two Princes preferred not to have too much of the same things. Although, they surely had their own favorites that graced the table when called for.

It was in the bustle of mid morning that Rupert found himself occupying a back corner. Propped open on the counter was a recipe book, which the Western Prince referred to often. In the years he’d spent as a Party Prince he’d picked up several skills for decorating desserts and designing perfectly portioned plates. However, he’d always been assisted in the actual creation of said foodstuffs. Rupert had of course made his intentions plain to the chef on duty. When the lady in question confirmed there was indeed barely enough space and more than enough ingredients to accommodate the unusual request, he’d been ushered away to conduct his own cooking.

“You know I could have that done in half the time you are taking?” The morning chef said, once again.

Rupert tried not to show his irritation. The Eastern lady wasn’t trying to be rude. She was confident, capable and definitely could do as she said. “Labneh, have you ever made anything for your own family?”

Labneh nodded. “Of course. It is where I started.”

“Did everything you ever made turn out right or quickly?” Rupert asked.

Labneh shook her head and smiled. “I will not help except to speak. Only your hands will touch this. Will that be acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s fine. It’s...more difficult than I’m used to. I’ve torn my dough several times already.” Rupert poked at the largest hole in his current disaster in progress. More filling spilled out.

Labneh sighed. “If you wanted a true master, you should have risen early and spoken to the baker, but alas.”

Rupert shrugged. “I’m not an early riser, Labneh. I never have been good at it.”

“Not to be rude, Your Highness, but this I have heard.” Labneh looked at his recipe book.

Rupert paused, then scratched his forehead, accidentally getting flour in his hair and eyebrows. “You’re helping me, Labneh. You can be a little rude. I’m invading your territory after all. And please, call me Rupert.”

Looking up from the recipe, Labneh smiled. “As you wish, Rupert. I will have a maid fetch us a clean pastry cloth. This you will dust in flour and use to turn over this dough without tearing.”

Rupert slapped his head, inadvertently getting more flour on himself. “Did you know that when I asked you to work on this?”

Labneh took a handkerchief from her apron pocket and passed it to Rupert, miming to his head. “Forgive me, Rupert, my mind was on other pans that were close to burning.”

Rupert got the hint and wiped off most of the flour. “Oh no please, forgive me.”

Labneh smiled. “This will take twice as long if we both keep apologizing.”

“Oh, right. Sorry-uh...”

Labneh let out a laugh and waved a hand. She quickly got a maid’s attention and they brought the cloth. Rupert rolled out another layer of dough, stretched it to just before its breaking point, and placed his filling inside.

Looking over his shoulder, Labneh made a noise. “What? Did I do something wrong?” Rupert asked.

Labneh patted his back. “I am only appreciating the smell of your filling. You have done the preparation very well. When I learned, I forgot to let the apples lose some moisture. Filling flowed over the pan and onto the oven. Long day of scrubbing for me.”

“I can imagine!”

Brushing the whole affair with a beaten egg, Rupert placed his strudel in the oven and turned to his chef coach. “Thank you, Labneh.”

The chef shrugged. “My partner is coming in soon and it would’ve been another fight were he to see you cooking by yourself. He would insist on taking over.”

She wandered off to bark orders around the kitchen. Rupert went ahead and made the accompanying whipped cream and piped it out into a bowl before she came back. Labneh returned just in time to see Rupert take the strudel out. “You have done well with your cream in my absence. Had you not been born a prince, I would have you always in my kitchen.”

“That’s high praise, I’m sure you’re being polite...” Rupert said finally.

“She’s not,” Amir said as he approached.

Labneh brandished the nearest long kitchen implement at hand. Amir eyed the set of tongs warily. “I’m not here to cook, Labneh! I promise!”

Rupert looked between them with alarm. “Wait, what’s going on? You’re not that bad a cook.”

Labneh kept her eyes on Amir. “See that you keep your hands off of my tools you walking health hazard.”

“I forget to clean a pan one time!” Amir protested.

Labneh stepped forward with the tongs. Amir actually stepped back. “I don’t know what cement mixture you were trying to concoct in my cathedral of cuisine, Your Highness, but we nearly had to melt that pan down and reforge it!”

“And that was worth the nickname?” Amir said, Rupert smiling at the pout in his voice and on his face.

Labneh nodded. “Prince Amir, Champion of the Eternal Stain? Yes. If anything, the name was too nice.”

“Uh, here Amir.” In between laughing fits, Rupert plated a portion of the strudel and topped it with cream.

“Blackberry, apple and blueberry?” Amir asked.

Rupert nodded as he passed a plate to Labneh. She looked like she was about to refuse, but then didn’t. Rupert turned his gaze to her. “Yeah, I’ve seen how you haven’t eaten anything. And tasting a few dishes doesn’t count!”

Labneh sighed as she grabbed her fork. “Fine, yes. I am hungry. But I am also curious. And I want to tell the baker too.”

“I want your honest opinion, no good trying to please my ego,” Rupert cautioned. 

Amir’s eyes were closed as he took his first bite. Opening them, he turned to Labneh and shook his head. “He’s not going to believe you.”

Labneh took her bite and looked down. “He won’t believe either of us.”

“What?” Rupert asked.

“It’s really good, Fitz.” Amir took another bite. “I’m torn on whether to eat this quickly or to do it slow.”

“Take it slow, Stain-Prince. If he makes you even half as happy as this pastry makes me, then our kingdom will never be short of love.” With that, she bowed and walked away, eating as she went.

“You’re both putting me on,” Rupert said, laughing.

Amir shrugged. “Take the compliment. This is as good as she says. And even better, you made it for me.”

“I had help.”

Amir waved a hand. “Verbal maybe. But I’ve been watching you from across the kitchen. You did all the handwork by yourself. And she wasn’t even around for the cream or filling.”

Rupert leaned in close and kissed Amir on the cheek. “You have got to stop stalking me, by the way. I would like to surprise you every once in a while.”

Amir returned to pouting. “You left the bed earlier than usual. When I found you in here I felt...jealous. But then I realized you were working on something and it became fascinating. I didn’t want you to be self-conscious with me watching you.”

Rupert rolled his eyes and took a bite of his own strudel. Chewing slowly and swallowing carefully, Rupert shook his head. “I don’t believe myself.”

“Well, that silver tongue of yours might lie every now and then. But here it’s telling you the truth.”


End file.
